


'Cause I'm paper thin (in love with you)

by exolliarmus



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-24 22:37:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12022512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exolliarmus/pseuds/exolliarmus
Summary: It's really frustrating for Chanyeol as he still can not conjure a patronus. He has no idea what he is doing wrong and Kyungsoo tries to help but there is only so much the smaller can do. Is Chanyeol scared that his patronus might be something embarrassing or is the memory just not the /right/ one?





	'Cause I'm paper thin (in love with you)

**Author's Note:**

> Title: 'Cause I'm paper thin (in love with you)  
> Pairing: Chanyeol/Kyungsoo  
> Summary: It's really frustrating for Chanyeol as he still can not conjure a patronus. He has no idea what he is doing wrong and Kyungsoo tries to help but there is only so much the smaller can do. Is Chanyeol scared that his patronus might be something embarrassing or is the memory just not the /right/ one?  
> Rating: PG  
> Word count: 11,059 words  
> Author's note: Thank you L and C for the support, and M for being such an amazing beta!!!

_'We have a seat here'_  were the first words Chanyeol heard from the other. His older sister Yura, being already a third year student at Hogwarts, wasn't half as excited as Chanyeol to be heading to school, and wanted to leave their house as late as possible to the platform nine and three-quarters.  
  
Chanyeol, being on his first day of school after years of anxiously waiting for letter – scared that unlike his sister he would never get it – couldn't wait for everything that was about to happen. Rolling his big trunk around the narrow corridor of the train, now nearly empty since everyone had already claimed a seat, Chanyeol went from door to door looking for a spot. Kyungsoo must have overheard one of his many  _'excuse me, do you have a seat?'_ , because he opened the door of his cabin, putting only a tilted head out, and said those exact words.  
  
Then, Chanyeol was barely an inch taller than Kyungsoo. He smiled brightly, and with the help of the other, moved his big trunk inside of the cabin, which got a bit crumpled, but Kyungsoo – nor Baekhyun and Jongdae, whom he also met in the train that day – didn't seem to mind. They put the trunk on the luggage compartment above their seats, which barely fit with Kyungsoo's already there, and sad down with a puff.  
  
"Hi! I'm Park Chanyeol," He introduced himself, never shy, "Thank you for inviting me in!"  
  
For kids, that's more than enough. For the hours that followed, the four of them already knew pretty much everything about the others – Chanyeol had a ferret he was sad to leave behind, Baekhyun couldn't spend ten minutes without trying to imitate the others, Kyungsoo was in serious need of a pair of glasses and Jongdae wouldn't remember Chanyeol's ferret name by the time they got to the castle, not if he had to rely on his memory. Which proved to be accurate later at their first feast, when he asked who was Ddori again, with a light blush creeping up his cheeks, feeling sorry for being suddenly lost in the conversation.  
  
Baekhyun and Jongdae, like Chanyeol, were half-bloods, born and raised in the magical world, and also neighbors ever since they can remember.  
  
The three of them met outside of the platform, just before crossing the wall. Baekhyun and Jongdae, being aware of how to get to the platform and being more comfortable with the situation for already having company, went up to a lost looking Kyungsoo and explained everything about crossing the wall to him. Baekhyun went first, to show him how it's done, and Jongdae went last, to make sure Kyungsoo wouldn't be left behind if he didn't manage to do it.  
  
Chanyeol, finding out Kyungsoo was a muggle-born, couldn't help but be even more excited. His parents, both wizards, were never close to their distant muggle-born relatives, so he never really got to go there. His mother would tell him stories about them, but she never knew enough to satisfy his curiosity.  
  
Sharing candies they bought together from the trolley, the boys discussed about the many differences between the two worlds, and Kyungsoo, noticing Chanyeol was as amazed by his world than he was by the half-bloods', quickly became at ease around the others.  
  
Later that day, when his name was called to sit down at the little stool and the sorting hat was put on his head, engulfing him, covering his thick eyebrows and almost his wide eyes too, it was their gaze a nervous Kyungsoo looked for seeking comfort. Chanyeol likes to think that specially his, even though he was the third one Kyungsoo met on his first day of school.  
  
Six years later, Chanyeol chuckles at the memory, but also feels a tug inside of his chest – he's been obsessed with Kyungsoo from the first second, hasn't he? He wishes Kyungsoo looks back and thinks Chanyeol was his favorite person from the moment he heard his voice down the hall, too.  
  
He wishes Kyungsoo was a bit disappointed he was a Hufflepuff and not a Gryffindor like the others, not because that meant he'd have to sit in a different table, with different people, but because he wouldn't get to be by Chanyeol's side.  
  
Deep down he already knew, though, in a way Kyungsoo himself didn't, that Kyungsoo belongs there. The Kyungsoo who overhears a stranger asking for help… and simply helps.  
  
"Earth to Chanyeol," Sehun waves his hand in front of his face, grabbing his attention amongst the group chatter and his thoughts, "What's up with you today?"  
  
"Have you heard? Joonmyun, Ravenclaw's head student, can also cast a patronus now," Baekhyun says, talking directly to Chanyeol, which indicates he's said that before, and only he was too absorbed in thoughts to pay attention to the news.  
  
Lately, the students have been obsessed with the patronus charm. Not being mandatory to graduate Hogwarts nor really necessary like in the past, it's not one that's under the Defences Against The Dark Magics taught charms, but now and then it becomes a hot topic amongst students again, who end up trying to learn it on their own.  
  
Most four year and up students can, some even a corporeal one. Being a sixth year, Chanyeol was confident he could do it, but so far? Not even a sparkle.  
  
"So what is it?" Jongdae asks, impatient and probably a bit upset Chanyeol was stalling the conversation, he guesses. More than knowing who's failing and who's succeeding at casting the charm, word goes around about what exactly the animal is, too.  
  
"A bunny," Sehun says, hiding a smile under his hand. Jongdae, though, bursts out laughing, out loud.  
  
"That's a cute patronus, though," He says then, trying to sound serious and not like the asshole from a second before.  
  
Chanyeol sighs, a slight pout taking over his lips, "At least he can do it."  
  
"Come on, you'll have yours soon too," Kyungsoo says, rubbing the taller's arm. That always manages to comfort him, Kyungsoo knows, although it's getting harder each day with the patronus issue.  
  
"Easy for you to say!" Whenever Chanyeol can't do something well, he gets too into his head and his mood flies out the window. "Not only can you do it, yours is so cool, too."  
  
"You don't have to do it, though? I mean, we have owls to send a message if we have to. And have any of you ever seen a dementor? Or maybe a lethifold?" Sehun reasons, already kind of fed up with the entire patronus hype.  
  
Students are bored and constantly looking for something to be obsessed with, specially if it's something they can show off to others, and it always becomes such a huge thing, mostly because other students take it as a challenge, get curious, or both.  
  
There's silence for a second, which makes the corner of Sehun's lips curl up in a pleased grin, "Why not focus on what we actually should be learning, then?"  
  
"You're just scared yours is going to be an even lamer animal than a bunny," Baekhyun mocks.  
  
"Like maybe a squirrel?" Sehun shoots, as if it's  _just_  an example.  
  
"It's not just a squirrel, it's a flying squirrel," Baekhyun reasons, not amused anymore.  
  
"Maybe that's why you can't cast a patronus?" Jongdae cuts in, before Sehun has a chance to say flying squirrels don't actually fly, but glide. That discussion always takes a lot longer to end than it should. "Because you're scared of what the patronus will be?"  
  
"Must be? I mean, I think I'm doing it right. And my memory is a really good one, so," Chanyeol frowns in thought.  
  
"Mind sharing?" Baekhyun tries, and Chanyeol kind of freezes for a second. Kyungsoo is quietly sitting by his side, and Chanyeol knows his eyes are on him, like everyone else's right now. How to say his happiest memory is the first time he saw him without making it sound weird?  
  
"My first day here," Chanyeol says simply. Everyone knows he's always wanted to go there, always wanted to be a Gryffindor, always to play for the quidditch team. Like Yura did. So he wasn't technically lying, just omitting.  
  
There's silence again, until Sehun decides taking one for the team and being the honest one, "That won't do. Too weak."  
  
The other three nod, mumbling a few words of agreement to themselves, making Chanyeol snort a bit on the inside. He knows his memory isn't weak. He notices, though, maybe the reason it doesn't work is the memory is tied to a wandering heart. When he thinks of it, when he mentions it, he feels a bittersweet taste spread inside of his mouth.  
  
"Well, it's the best I've got? If it's too weak, then what should I do? I can't just give up because of this," Chanyeol's eyes widen in panic at the possibility of never being able to cast a patronus because he doesn't have a memory happy enough. What would the other students think of  _that_?  
  
"Maybe your memory is still yet to happen," Kyungsoo tries.  
  
"I can't just sit around and wait for it, though? Could take forever!" Chanyeol retorts, impatient, trying to throw his hands up the air, but not managing to make a big scene – sitting on top of his robe, his movements are limited and his arms don't go that far.  
  
"You don't have to?" Sehun points out, "Make it happen."  
  
  
  
_Make it happen._  Chanyeol thinks a lot about the youngest's words. He crosses his arms on top of the table, resting his chin on them, and watches as Kyungsoo walks by the shelves of the library, looking for a book that can help them study the charm. He wants to make sure their theory is complete and accurate before moving on to trying new things, just in case.  
  
But watching him now, he can only think of his memory. When he asks himself what would make him happy, Kyungsoo is his first and only thought.  
  
_Make it happen._  Chanyeol has considered that before, more than once, more than countless times.  
  
He doesn't know when Kyungsoo became more than a best friend. Perhaps they've always been this way. But he remembers when he figured it out, during their fourth year, sitting right there where he is now – since it's Kyungsoo's favorite place at the library.  
  
Kyungsoo worked on an essay sitting across from him, while he read a book, one of the many Kyungsoo lent him through the years. Books he brings from home, because sometimes he really misses it there, and they help him feel closer to that place somehow, but also because he knows Chanyeol likes it when Kyungsoo brings muggle things to show him.  
  
Chanyeol reads them for those two reasons. He learns a lot about the muggle world with them, but he also learns a lot about Kyungsoo. About the place he misses, about the things he likes and dislikes. He wonders if Kyungsoo misses school when he's there, if he misses him, because he misses Kyungsoo. A lot. But he never had the guts to ask him, both for being embarrassed and scared of the answer.  
  
That book in particular told the story of a forest nymph. Being in love with the moon, the nymph would spend night after night climbing the hill and chasing after it, in hopes the moon would notice her. After failing again and again, the nymph would cry, filling the night's air with echoes of her sobs.  
  
Chanyeol tried to ignore how he could relate to the character, but every description of her feelings for the moon got him thinking of Kyungsoo – who was, thankfully, too absorbed in writing his issue to notice the blush creeping up Chanyeol's cheeks every now and then, the dry gulps he's swallowing down his throat, or the way he'd shift in his chair uncomfortably.  
  
He tried denying it for a long, long time. Then he started thinking that maybe it would go away. Nowadays he just daydreams a lot. About making it happen.  
  
But he's scared of ending up like the nymph from the book, who one night saw the moon reflected on the waters of the river. Blinded by her obsession, she thought the echoes of her sobs had reached it, and it was there to wipe her tears away.  
  
She jumped, and she drowned.  
  
Chanyeol takes that as a sign to keep his feelings to himself.  
  
"Here," Kyungsoo says, taking his usual seat and placing the book in front of him, with a finger between the pages – probably bookmarking the one that mentions the patronus charm.  
  
He opens it, then starts reading the words there to himself – just a bunch of mumbles and occasional bla bla blas as his fingers run through the lines a lot faster than it should. Chanyeol hides his his mouth on his arms for a second, trying to contain a smile.  
  
"Some witches and wizards may be unable to produce a patronus at all until they have undergone some kind of psychic shock. See?" Kyungsoo reads, then looks up at him for a reaction.  
  
"What do you think would traumatize me enough to cast it?" He asks, but he doesn't mean it. It's mostly to tease Kyungsoo.  
  
"That's not what I meant!" He raises his voice, earning a shush from the librarian. "Sorry," He whispers, then gives Chanyeol a glare when he laughs.  
  
"To successfully cast the spell, one must muster the happiest memory they can think of – the happier the memory, the better the charm will work – and begin drawing circles with their wand so as to increase the power of their spell.  
  
They must then say the incantation, expecto patronum; and the patronus will come from the tip of the wand, which can be directed towards a target by pointing one's wand at it."  
  
"It also says that self-confidence may also play an important role in casting the spell," Kyungsoo concludes, then closes the book, "Can you try it?"  
  
Right there and then? In front of Kyungsoo?  
  
"I don't know…" Chanyeol trails off, trying to come up with an excuse and failing.  
  
"Don't you want to cast it?"  
  
"I don't know…" Chanyeol avoids again, but Kyungsoo isn't mad, he snorts. Then he gets up, circles the table and stops behind him. Chanyeol watches as Kyungsoo reaches for the wand on the pocket of his robe, then shoves it on his hand rather than handing it to him.  
  
Chanyeol is ready to shoot a smart remark about Kyungsoo making him do it, but Kyungsoo is faster and actually  _makes him do it_. He bends down, until their cheeks almost touch, and circles his thin fingers around Chanyeol's fist, guiding his hand. But Kyungsoo isn't demanding – his touch is soft and his movements are light, yet steady when forming small circles in the air. "Don't worry about casting the patronus or whether the memory is powerful enough, that will get in the way," Kyungsoo says, then lets go of his hand, and stands straight again, "Also take as much time as you need before saying the incantation. It doesn't work if you rush in."  
  
Chanyeol nods, trying to focus on the tips and not the sudden absence of heat on his right side.  
  
"It's not that hard now, is it?" Kyungsoo teases, but his voice soon becomes soothing again, "I want to help, Chanyeol."  
  
He knows what he means by that. Chanyeol doesn't have to be scared of making mistakes in front of his best friend, but Kyungsoo doesn't know he's always so eager to impress him, more than anyone else. It's  _frustrating_  that he still can't cast the patronus. "You're already helping," He says simply, hoping Kyungsoo will get the depth of it. Kyungsoo's the one who's been supporting him ever since the challenge reached their group. He's the one who's been putting up with his fluctuating mood, he's the one who's here being so meticulous about every step of the way to make sure Chanyeol will succeed.  
  
Kyungsoo wasn't even interested in it at first, but practiced hard knowing he would be able to help more if he knew how to cast it himself.  
  
He wasn't worried about failing, wasn't worried about what his patronus would be, wasn't seeking to impress anybody. He just wanted to help someone, like he always does, and maybe that's why he was so quick to make it.  
  
"What are you going to do about your memory?" Kyungsoo asks, "Maybe Sehun is right, and you should make it happen."  
  
Chanyeol feels a tug on the corner of his lips, pulling it downward when he hears those words. He wonders if Kyungsoo would still say them if he knew better.  
  
If he knew when Chanyeol thinks about his first day there, he thinks about how it was the first time he saw the eyes burning on him right now. The first time he heard his voice, then a lot softer than his now husky tone. The first of many times he was kind to him, never asking for anything in return.  
  
"Can you think of anything that you really want to do right now?"  
  
"I can," Chanyeol blurts, regretting it instantly. He hopes Kyungsoo doesn't ask him what.  
  
"Then I guess you should do it."  
  
Chanyeol only doesn't snort because it hits him Kyungsoo isn't including himself on their plan. He's said  _you_  when he should've said  _we_  three times already, actually.  
  
"You mean us?" Chanyeol corrects, but Kyungsoo just stares back, not even faking the confusion on his face. "Kyungsoo! It's not a happy memory if you're–"  
  
Chanyeol stops. He seriously needs to watch his mouth.  
  
"What?" Kyungsoo's eyes go wide, and Chanyeol can't hold that stare. He turns his face, looking at the book and reaching to play with the work out spine of it.  
  
_It's not a happy memory if you're not there._  
  
"By yourself. It's not a happy memory if you're by yourself. Don't you want to help?" Chanyeol tries, although he doesn't feel it's right to use that against Kyungsoo.  
  
"I don't know…" Kyungsoo mocks, saying it exactly how Chanyeol did before, dragging his voice and avoiding eye contact. Chanyeol can't keep a straight face then, but it's ok. He knows that means a yes. "So, what is it that you want to do?"  
  
Oh. Chanyeol's smile vanishes. His heart beats a bit faster on his chest, screaming for him to just say it. The thing he wants is for Kyungsoo to say his feelings are reciprocated when he tells him he's always been in love with his best friend. Can Kyungsoo help with  _that_?  
  
He thinks of the nymph, drowning in the reflected moon. "Actually… Can I think some more about the memory?"  
  
"Sure," Kyungsoo says, with a comforting smile. "I'll return this," He gets the book and gets up to place it back on the shelf.  
  
Chanyeol goes back to crossing his arms on top of the table and resting his chin on them, watching the other. Couldn't the moon notice the nymph before she jumped and drowned? Chanyeol kicks under the table; stupid book.  
  
  
  
"I need your help," Chanyeol says, catching up with Sehun on the way to the Slytherin common room after class, "Can we talk right now? Privately?"  
  
"Sure," Sehun says, unusually serious. He lets Chanyeol lead him towards the gardens, where they'd have more space to talk without being overheard by a passerby. "What is it?"  
  
Chanyeol takes a deep breath in – he's decided to just saying it. "I might have f-feelings for Kyungsoo," He exhales.  _Might_ , though, is a bit of an understatement. He waits for a reaction, but Sehun just waits, with a raised eyebrow. "That's it? You're not surprised?"  
  
Then Sehun's expression changes to one of fake pity, "Oh, kid… No one would be surprised at that," He says, voice filled with sarcasm and his lips in a thin line.  
  
Chanyeol feels exposed. And confused. His mind goes everywhere – so everyone knows? For how long? How and why exactly? More importantly, "Do you think  _he_  knows?"  
  
"No. We were going to bet on that, but everyone agreed on this, so yeah…" Sehun shares, sounding a bit disappointed he couldn't bet on his friend's love life. "What do you need help with, then?"  
  
"Oh, right," Now there's that. Chanyeol thought it would be hard to admit his feelings out loud, but confessing that it's deep enough to involve his patronus memory is harder. Although the chances of Sehun not being surprised again are pretty high, given their conversation. "We were talking about what you said the other day, about making my memory happen. The thing is I can't think of anything that doesn't involve having this conversation with Kyungsoo. Which I can't, not right now."  
  
Chanyeol feels the tears ready to pool on his eyes, so he stops. He's not going to cry, not in the middle of the garden, not in front of Sehun. Chanyeol knows Kyungsoo can only say yes or no, so it's a fifty percent chance, and if he doesn't try, the answer is definitely no, then. Sounds like a good deal, trying.  
  
If this was just a crush on a random person, Chanyeol wouldn't hesitate. But this is Kyungsoo. The fifty percent chance of him saying no, means Chanyeol not only has his heart broken, but also loses what he has with Kyungsoo forever.  
  
Chanyeol knows what Kyungsoo is like. It had happened a couple of times before – it reaches Kyungsoo someone likes him and he can't help but back off. Chanyeol is the one he goes to, saying he can't help it, he feels so bad, but he can't help it.  
  
Which is great for Chanyeol, in every case but the one in which  _he_  is the one who likes Kyungsoo.  
  
What makes Chanyeol keep his feelings for himself isn't the thought of drowning. It's the possibility of never seeing the moon again.  
  
So he doesn't take it for granted. As things are now, he can be with Kyungsoo, maybe not in the way he wanted to, but he can. Chanyeol would never forgive himself if he lost this for being greedy.  
  
"So you need help coming up with something you would really want to do, unrelated to dating Kyungsoo," Sehun confirms, making Chanyeol blush a bit. He didn't want to put it  _that_  way. "We'll think of something," Sehun says, placing his arm around Chanyeol's shoulder and giving his arm a couple of pats.  
  
"Thank you," Chanyeol says, glad he has Sehun to talk to now. Apparently, his secret has never really been a secret to his friends, but it's good to finally know he's not alone.  
  
"Have you thought about winning the quidditch cup? Not that I would just let you, though."  
  
"I don't think it's a coincidence Slytherin hasn't won the cup since you joined the team," Chanyeol mocks, but doesn't give Sehun time to come up with a comeback, "Definitely, but the final game is too far away," Chanyeol points out. It would be a big deal, given Ravenclaw has won for three consecutive years already. Snatching the cup from them would feel amazing, and could be a memory good enough for the patronus, but… "I was kind of wishing there would be something else I could do, a lot sooner than the that."  
  
"Other than dating Kyungsoo, of course."  
  
"Can you please not?"  
  
"No," Sehun says, earning a light punch to his gut, and laughing about it, but not letting go of Chanyeol's shoulder anyway. Chanyeol should've seen that coming, really, Sehun wouldn't just let him talk about his quidditch skills like that without vengeance.  
  
  
  
—  
  
  
  
"I need your help," Kyungsoo whispers, as soon as Baekhyun flops his stuff on the table and sits by his side. He's just in time for Potions class, but their teacher isn't. Apparently there was an accident in the class prior to them, and she had to take a student to the infirmary.  
  
"I knew this day would come," Baekhyun says, clearly amused, "And it only took you six years," He adds.  
  
"You said there was a way out of the castle once, didn't you?" He shoots, no time to waste. The teacher is going to take about ten minutes to get back, but Baekhyun is a people magnet. It's a matter of time before someone interrupts them.  
  
"All the way to Hogsmeade," He whispers too now, because that's classified information. Baekhyun can count on one hand's fingers how many people know about it, and he wants to keep it that way. If students find out there is a passage to begin with, they'll certainly look for it. Worse, they'll find it. Then a teacher will catch up, and there goes the secret passage.  
  
"I need to know where it is."  
  
"What for?" Baekhyun asks, suspicious. His grin grows larger.  
  
"I'm taking Chanyeol to the muggle world, this weekend," Kyungsoo tries to sound casual, as if it's every weekend's plan, nothing new. But for someone that doesn't want to sneak out even out of the room, that's something.  
  
"No way," Baekhyun gasps, being a bit louder than he should and dragging attention from a couple of classmates. Kyungsoo shushes him, so he goes back to whispering, "You're doing something wrong because you  _want_  to?"  
  
"Are you telling me or not?"  
  
"Of course I'll help you with your date," Baekhyun says, dancing a bit on his chair.  
  
"Date? No, no, it's not a date," Kyungsoo explains, eyes huge. "I'm taking him there because that could be his patronus memory."  
  
"Going on a date with you on the muggle world could definitely be his patronus memory."  
  
"Correction, going to the muggle world could definitely be his patronus memory," Kyungsoo states, ignoring Baekhyun's silent yell. He knows it went in one ear and right out the other. "Are you telling me or not?"  
  
Baekhyun leans in closer, covering his mouth with one hand, "Go to the third floor and wait until the grand staircase leads you to that hall without an end everyone hates to get stuck at. There's a painting of a woman in a black dress and pointy hat to your left almost at the end of it. You have to push and then pull from the right side or else it won't open."  
  
"Where does it lead to?"  
  
"A small basement under the Shrieking Shack. The place is disgusting, but there's no risk of being caught, so we're not complaining."  
  
"Right," Kyungsoo nods, reviewing Baekhyun's words on his head so he won't forget, "Thank you."  
  
"Anything for your date."  
  
"It's not a date, Baekh–" Kyungsoo starts, but the teacher gets there and cuts him off, asking for everyone's attention so they won't get behind with the class' content.  
  
"It's a date," Baekhyun whispers quickly, right before the teacher starts an introduction on the wound healing potion.  
  
  
  
Kyungsoo makes Baekhyun promise he won't tell Chanyeol, because he thinks the factor of surprise will make him happier. Jongdae and Sehun though, are probably aware of it, as they kept shooting Kyungsoo weird grins with no context whatsoever.  
  
He decided to leave for Hogsmeade on Saturday morning, and return to Hogwarts before Chanyeol's quidditch practice, late Sunday. The train back and forth will take up most of their time, but it's the only gap on their schedules, so there isn't much of a choice. It's worth it, though.  
  
Chanyeol has been dying to go to the muggle world ever since he was a child. One of his favorite classes, of course, had to be Muggle Studies, which he takes his N.E.W.T. on now, so hey, you can count this as studying, right? Although wizards don't tend to go there, because they think it's too dangerous. Kyungsoo goes back every break, but only actually flies home for summer vacations.  
  
During winter he stays around the station. On his first years, he would stay at Hogwarts, and often spend some days at Mrs. Park's place, but for the last three years, he decided he could use some time with the muggles, catch up with what's new and videochat his parents, which is far better than waiting for letters.  
  
This time he won't be able to do that, or his parents will know he left the castle when he shouldn't. But he's excited to see how things are, and to finally be able to share it with Chanyeol.  
  
He breaks into the Gryffindor dorm as the sun rises outside, which doesn't really feel wrong anymore, not after doing it so often he gets to know the new passwords before many Gryffindor students themselves. He opens the door to Chanyeol's room slowly not to wake up the other students there, then tiptoes to his bed and bends down to blow air on his face, which startles him up instantly.  
  
Kyungsoo giggles a bit, trying not to make any sounds. Chanyeol looks adorable when he's confused, with his brows knitted together and a slight pout on his lips. "Kyungsoo?" He mumbles, rubbing his eye.  
  
Kyungsoo puts a finger on his lips, indicating for Chanyeol to not say a thing, then waves so he'll follow him outside. It takes a while for Chanyeol to get to the door, yawning and stretching his long limbs everywhere as he walks with lazy steps.  
  
Once Chanyeol is outside, Kyungsoo closes the door behind him. The common area of the dorm is empty and darker than the room, not having as many windows. "What are you doing here? What time is it?" Chanyeol whispers, letting out another yawn.  
  
"About six-thirty? I'm not sure, but we have to go," He says, grabbing Chanyeol's hand with his and pulling him along – the train leaves Hogsmeade by seven, and he doesn't know how long exactly they'll take to walk there using the passage.  
  
"Go where?" Chanyeol asks, dragging his fluffy blue slippers on the floor softly as Kyungsoo leads him out of the common room. Kyungsoo doesn't answer, checking if both sides of the hall are empty.  
  
They go down the stairs to the second floor, being the only route to the endless hall on the third. Being avoided by students, Kyungsoo knows by heart how to get stuck there. He keeps his eyes attentive to his surroundings – hoping no Hufflepuff student will get out of bed and check why the stairs are moving around at such hour. It's a chilly Saturday morning, so he doubts anyone will be brave enough to get out of the covers for that, but better safe than sorry.  
  
"Go where?" Chanyeol whispers, now more awake, the roughness of his voice slowly going away as it's replaced by some urgency, "We're going to get stuck on the third floor," He warns, but lets himself be lead anyway.  
  
When they get there, and the staircase moves away, Chanyeol sadly watches it go. Kyungsoo laughs noticing it's somewhat of a second nature. "Look," He calls for his attention, poking the dimple that shows up when his lips become a thin line, "You have to trust me and promise you won't ask any questions."  
  
Chanyeol nods, "But this is–" He whines, not really sure how to put it in words, "I smell trouble."  
  
Kyungsoo snorts, "As if you, Baekhyun and Jongdae don't make Gryffindor not only lose the house cup but also be last place every single year with your 'adventures'", He mocks, because they're more misbehavior and mischievous pranks than proper adventures.  
  
"You're not wrong," Chanyeol admits, "It's just I'm always the one trying to drag you along, not the opposite. This is both exciting and terrifying. What's going on in your head?" He asks, not really expecting an answer. Kyungsoo laughs, despite the blush staining his cheeks. He's glad Chanyeol doesn't know the answer to that.  
  
He stops when he finds the painting, then pushes and pulls the right side of the frame, just like Baekhyun indicated. For a second nothing happens, but then a screech can be heard and the painting jumps off the wall.  
  
He pulls it open enough so he can spy what's on the other side, but he can't see far away. It's a narrow corridor with brick walls on both sides, being engulfed by darkness. Very welcoming.  
  
He steps in, not really confident about it. "Hey, hey," Chanyeol calls, grabbing his arm, "You can't expect us to go in there?"  
  
"Trust me," He reminds Chanyeol, which is enough to make him stop questioning. It makes Kyungsoo a bit warm inside, he knows how much of a chicken the other is when things get scary. But Chanyeol is a Gryffindor, and no matter how scared he is, he faces his fears. Sometimes, Kyungsoo can't say if it's braveness, curiosity or a huge mistake.  
  
They hear steps echo in the distance, which makes Chanyeol startle and step inside in the blink of an eye, closing the painting behind him. All of a sudden, everything is pitch black. Kyungsoo reaches for his wand,  _"Lumos,"_  and a small point of light comes to life.  
  
It's enough to illuminate where they're going to step next, but barely. Everything is so quiet, all he hears is their heavy breath and the thumping of his own heart in his ears. Chanyeol glues himself to Kyungsoo's back, holding his arms in a tight grip, which calms him down a bit. He's not alone, and there's no one that makes him feel safer than Chanyeol, although he'd never let the other know. He wouldn't hear the end of it.  
  
They walk in near silence for about fifteen minutes, only words exchanged being of warnings, to mind flights of stairs ahead. Then, Kyungsoo sees a door. He's hesitant when he reaches for the doorknob, but it opens easily, with the slightest push, and he notices the lock is broken.  
  
On the other side is the basement, but they still can't see much ahead. Kyungsoo can hear mice running around, which makes Chanyeol yelp. Unlike in the corridor, their steps are hurried now. They have to turn around a couple of times before spotting the stairs that lead to the door outside.  
  
The wind is unmerciful on their cheeks, as the sun hides between the clouds taking over the sky. It takes a while for their eyes to adjust to the brightness.  _"Nox,"_  The sparkle on the tip of Kyungsoo's wand vanishes, and he puts it back in his backpack.  
  
Chanyeol looks around, inspecting the familiar place. Then a small smile forms on his face, "We're in Hogsmeade?" He asks, to make sure he isn't the only one thinking so.  
  
"Yes," Kyungsoo confirms, "But this is not our final destination. We're one train ride and about eight hours away from it."  
  
"No way," Chanyeol yells a bit, pulling Kyungsoo in for an excited hug. Despite still wearing nothing but his flannel pajamas, his skin is warm and soft. Kyungsoo wishes he wouldn't be so quick to let go.  
  
"Yes way," He says, hoping Chanyeol will take the blush on his cheeks for cold. "Come on, or we'll miss the train."  
  
They buy their tickets and board the train without a second glance from the workers or other passengers. Kyungsoo wonders how often they see stranger things than a boy in light blue flannel pajamas, but still he tells Chanyeol to change in the train's bathroom – it won't be normal once they reach platform nine and three-quarters.  
  
Chanyeol is not surprised that Kyungsoo packed for both, not when he has free access to his dorm. But still, he laughs endearingly at how thoughtful Kyungsoo was preparing for this. He even has scarves and gloves inside his backpack, although it's not cold enough for those.  
  
The next eight hours are shared with a lot of candy from the trolley, excited conversation about what awaits them and several naps from Chanyeol, who of course stayed up late the night before, messing around with his roommates until they couldn't keep their eyes open anymore.  
  
Kyungsoo doesn't mind though. Not when Chanyeol rests his head on his shoulder and sleepily says he's so comfy before drifting off to dreamland.  
  
  
  
—  
  
  
  
Baekhyun is working on his Potions essay due Monday – past Monday, mind you – when the head of the Gryffindor house professor finds him. It's second nature for him to feign sleep, making him drop the quill on top of the parchment, not really worrying about staining it, and letting his head hang back in the chair. He even opens his mouth slightly, to make it more believable.  
  
She doesn't bite it, though, "Drop the act, Mr. Byun."  
  
He opens his eyes slowly, pretending to be surprised. "Professor," Baekhyun says, as if happy to see her, even though their conversations never go well. They often end with '10 points from Gryffindor', which now for Baekhyun really just means 'goodbye'.  
  
"I see you're up to something already," She comments, "But I'm sure I'll be seeing you in my office again soon," Baekhyun sighs, clearly relieved this time he's not the issue. "I'm looking for Mr. Park. Have you seen him?"  
  
Baekhyun's mouth forms an 'o', and he grins slightly, knowing fully well he's on a train to platform nine and three-quarters as they speak. "I ran into him in the common room when heading here to work on my essay, Professor," He says, pointing at his parchment, now with a stain on the right corner, proudly showing off he's studying. On the parchment, three lines on hiccoughing solution are written.  
  
"I'll look into that," She says, unimpressed, "If you see him, let him know the quidditch practice needs to be rescheduled."  
  
"Will do, ma'am."  
  
  
  
—  
  
  
  
Chanyeol is always excited to visit the platform. Whenever he has to take the train to school, his mom apparates him there, and he gets to get a glimpse of the muggle world. Mostly people walking around with rushed steps, for a couple of seconds before they cross the wall, unaware of the magical world hiding on the other side, too busy to care.  
  
Crossing and knowing once there he can walk around freely if he wants because there's no mom to pull him back and tell him it's dangerous if he wanders because he'll get lost is already enough to put a huge smile on face.  
  
But knowing he'll get to see what's beyond the station, wow. He thought he would have to wait for years for this moment to happen. "Let's go," Kyungsoo snaps him out of his thoughts, grabbing his hand again and pulling him out of there. Chanyeol thinks he can get used to this, Kyungsoo's hands on his, making sure they won't part ways. "I have to check how much money I have left from last time I've been here at the ATM first, but after that we can go anywhere we want," Kyungsoo says, but Chanyeol doesn't get all of it. He nods and goes along, wondering what an ATM is.  
  
They take forever to get to the ATM, because Chanyeol is walking so slowly and stopping every five steps to look around, but Kyungsoo doesn't seem to mind, smiling and laughing amusedly at him.  
  
He's never seen so many buildings together in his life. And the cars won't stop passing by – which he's seen before, as some wizards have them too, but mainly to fly around. This is different, though. They go in lines and sometimes they stop when the light changes to red. He also sees some motorcycles, which he learnt about in Muggle Studies.  
  
He stops when Kyungsoo reaches what seems to be an ATM. He watches as Kyungsoo looks for something in his bag, then takes a rectangle shaped thing out of it. "What's this?"  
  
"A card. You put your money in it, and then you can use it to pay for stuff instead," Kyungsoo explains.  
  
"Oh… And how do you put your money in it?" He asks again, watching as Kyungsoo puts it inside of a thin hole on the ATM.  
  
"You can put it in the machine, and then it'll show up on your card account. Which is like a bank safe box that you can't see. You can also transfer money from an account to another, like apparition," Kyungsoo says, "There is credit card money too, which is an amount the bank lends you every month and you pay back after spending."  
  
"That is so cool," He says, inspecting the card after Kyungsoo takes it back from the machine and hands it to him.  
  
"Come on, there's a place I want to take you to."  
  
  
  
—  
  
  
  
Jongdae is at the common room playing chess with some other students before he's interrupted by the professor, walking in with confident steps towards him.  
  
That's never a good thing, but he keeps his cool anyway, ready to deny whatever he's being accused of this time until his last breath.  
  
"Mr. Kim," She greets, "Have you seen Mr. Park around?"  
  
Way past platform nine and three-quarters by now, he thinks. "We were in the kitchen just now, professor," Jongdae states confidently, which is a clear lie to everybody else present, aware Jongdae hasn't left the common room ever since lunch.  
  
Nobody says a word otherwise, though, or else Jongdae will whine in retaliation as payback, and that's something nobody wants to put up with.  
  
Not after he followed a fourth year around for forty five minutes straight, whining about betrayal, when the student accidentally exposed he was the one responsible for throwing the ball that broke the glass window, causing them to lose 10 points.  
  
To this day, Jongdae says those 10 points made them lose the house cup that year.  
  
"Good," She nods, but her lips are pressed in a line, contradicting her words. "If you see him, let him know the quidditch practice needs to be rescheduled."  
  
"Will do, ma'am," Jongdae smiles proudly as she turns around, inspecting the chess board and making sure every piece is where it should be. "Where were we, again?"  
  
  
  
—  
  
  
  
It takes about thirty minutes to get to the ferris wheel by subway, which is also new to Chanyeol. Kyungsoo seems rather bored, waiting for them to reach their destination, but Chanyeol loves how quick it goes compared to the train. There are no cabins, too, so he gets to watch the muggles and learn more about their habits. Some read books, some use what Kyungsoo said is called a smartphone – which he loves, judging by how he misses it when at Hogwarts –, some talk to their company, and Chanyeol pays attention to those conversations too.  
  
The ferris wheel though, is something else. He gets to see the entire city from up there, the river line crossing miles and miles of buildings wherever he looks.  
  
He also gets to see airplanes flying by – the ones Kyungsoo says he has to use to get home, and explained years before as white trains with wings. He did some drawings on parchment, too, which helped Chanyeol and the other curious wizards visualize it. "Someday, I'll take you on a plane to see my home," Kyungsoo promises.  
  
He also explains how the plane can take you other places too, places Kyungsoo himself hasn't seen, but wants to someday. After Hogwarts, when he can apparate and doesn't have to take the plane.  
  
"I've never seen anything this beautiful before," He says, a bit sad they've only got a couple of minutes left to stare.  
  
"Yeah…" Kyungsoo sighs. But his eyes don't rest at the city view. To which Chanyeol's smile, that goes all the way to the sparkle of his eyes, is a strong competitor when it comes to beauty.  
  
After they hop off the ferris wheel, Kyungsoo takes them to a grocery shop to buy dinner – Kyungsoo says his choices aren't very healthy, really just snacks, but since it's Chanyeol's first time around, he'll let him take them and leave the actual meals for when they're back in the castle.  
  
They waste time on a bench for a couple of hours before Kyungsoo takes them onto their next destination, when Kyungsoo shows him his smartphone. Kyungsoo says he always charges it before leaving for Hogwarts, so when he comes back he can turn it on right away. "You've learnt about electricity in class, right?" He asks, to which Chanyeol nods, "The phone is like a candle lamp. You put a candle in, use it until the candle is completely melted, then replace it for a new one. Same for battery. Except instead of replacing the candle, you connect the phone to an electricity source and it recharges. I know it's hard to understand, but I'll show you exactly how it works when we get to the hotel," He completes, laughing at Chanyeol's confused expression.  
  
It's a lot of information to take in, but he'd eager to know about everything. "What do you use a smartphone for?"  
  
"It'll be quicker to explain what you don't use it for, really."  
  
Kyungsoo shows him how to use it then, while sipping on the straw of his soda can – which Chanyeol loved at first, too, and is taking to Hogwarts to use when he manages to smuggle a beverage somewhere more private than the great hall. Sadly he can't smuggle sodas as well. Kyungsoo said they get hot if you don't keep them on a fridge, and then they're no fun anymore.  
  
Chanyeol learns what's a screen and what's a keyboard and asks details on every application on his phone. "What about Uber?"  
  
"You're gonna love that one," Kyungsoo answers, always so patiently, "You can pay someone to come pick you up and take you somewhere by car. We can do that later on our way to the hotel."  
  
"We'll ride a car?" Chanyeol asks, surprised. He's seen cars before, but he never got to get inside of one.  
  
The app – Chanyeol says app now, because he's an expert – he likes the most though, is Google. Because Kyungsoo says he can ask Google anything, and Google will have the answer, and Chanyeol has a  _lot_  of questions.  
  
That's the app Chanyeol uses the most. He sees pictures of planes, and the place Kyungsoo said he wants to meet, New York, and his hometown, Goyang. He takes forever to type at first, but he's a quick learner, which surprises Kyungsoo, making him feel so proud of himself.  
  
It will get dark soon, though, so Kyungsoo interrupts him – they have to leave for the Shard, to which Kyungsoo bought tickets online, with the number of his credit card. Now how amazing is  _that_?  
  
  
  
—  
  
  
  
Sehun is looking for leftover piece of carrot cake when the head of the Gryffindor house walks in, standing tall amongst the many small elves cleaning up around.  
  
"Mr. Oh," She calls, making Sehun take his head out of the cabinet, a bit annoyed all he's found in there were crumbs. "I was informed Mr. Park was here?"  
  
If Baekhyun wasn't lying when he said Kyungsoo asked for him to share the secret passage to Hogsmeade, definitely walking around London by now, he thinks, doing some quick math in his head.  
  
"Left for the owlry," He says, hoping nobody else used that excuse yet. He could simply answer no, but what's the fun in that, right?  
  
"I see," She sighs, a vain on her forehead ready to pop, "If you see him, let him know the quidditch practice needs to be rescheduled."  
  
"Will do, ma'am," He answers, but oh no, he won't. The least they practice, the better for his team, and Slytherin isn't losing this year, not against Gryffindor. Ravenclaw is definitely first place and nobody tries competing against them anymore, true. But they've agreed second place is what counts from now on, and that they aren't taking away from him, or else his name is no longer Oh Sehun – for real, as there's actually a bet on it in place.  
  
  
  
—  
  
  
  
It doesn't take long for them to reach the last floor of the Shard. Chanyeol doesn't know what awaits there, because Kyungsoo doesn't want to spoil the surprise – which Chanyeol thought was the elevator at first.  
  
They get there when the sun is just starting to go down the horizon, painting everything gold. Chanyeol pulls Kyungsoo down by his side, and they sit close together for hours, watching as it disappears far away.  
  
Soon the sky is a black ocean, and the city lights up everywhere, like countless candle lamps clustered together.  
  
"I've never seen anything this beautiful before," Chanyeol says, for the second time that night. Kyungsoo laughs, and he can feel a vibration where their arms touch, sending warmth up his chest. He loves it when Kyungsoo laughs, but even more when it's because of him.  
  
Kyungsoo lets him take a bunch of pictures on his phone, which start being of the view, but soon becomes of Kyungsoo, laughing as he hides himself with his arms. They don't move like the ones he's used to, but videos do, and they also record sound. Chanyeol understands why Kyungsoo and the other muggle-borns miss their phones so much now. He wishes he could turn it on at Hogwarts and replay Kyungsoo's laughter whenever he wanted to.  
  
After that, Kyungsoo shares his earphones with him, and they just listen to the songs on his phone until the place is about to close. It's hard to believe only they can listen to it at first, so Chanyeol keeps taking it off to make sure and then putting it back on, watching as Kyungsoo laughs, half hearing it too, half listening to the music playing.  
  
He loves all of them, and asks Kyungsoo to remember his favorites so he can sing them to him when they're back in the castle.  
  
As promised, they ride the car back, and Chanyeol never takes his eyes off the window, watching as buildings and more buildings and people and more people quickly pass by. Kyungsoo asks for the driver to leave them at a square near the hotel, as their final stop.  
  
There is a small garden of fountains there, and small lights underneath them, making the water have different colors. Late at night, the place is nearly empty.  
  
Kyungsoo lets his phone play songs by his side, as they talk about everything muggle. When he learns about clubs, he doesn't hesitate to pull Kyungsoo up to dance with him, maybe a bit high on soda sugar.  
  
"This is not how you dance at clubs," Kyungsoo says, laughing a bit against his chest, but he doesn't pull Chanyeol away, resting his hands on his shoulders and letting himself be led by the taller.  
  
Normally, Chanyeol would be curious and tell Kyungsoo to teach him what's the right way of dancing at clubs, but he likes having Kyungsoo's body glued to his, so he doesn't ask about it, deciding he can live without knowing for a bit longer.  
  
They dance in silence for a while, and Kyungsoo looks up to him, smiling shyly as he's not used to being in this position, "This is my favorite part of this song."  
  
'You shine brighter as the night grows deeper, your eyes tell me everything,' He sings along, with his eyes on Chanyeol's and that small shy smile still there, even while he sings.  
  
Chanyeol's heart skips a beat inside his chest. He keeps swinging Kyungsoo on autopilot, until the song ends. He didn't want to let go of Kyungsoo, not so soon, maybe not ever, but Kyungsoo says it's late and they should go to the hotel, take a shower and sleep, because they have to take the train back to school early in the morning, and Chanyeol just watches as he breaks away from him.  
  
  
  
They take the elevator again to their room's floor, but it takes seconds, unlike in the Shard. Chanyeol has the opportunity to turn the lights on and off, which he does repeatedly until Kyungsoo stops him and tells him to go shower. Which is also a first, since at home they take baths.  
  
Then Kyungsoo explains to him how the television works, and spends quite a while telling him the differences between movies, series, soap operas, variety shows and many others before he himself goes shower and get ready for bed, leaving Chanyeol switching channels behind.  
  
When Kyungsoo lies down, he's spent and ready to just sleep, but Chanyeol, having taken several naps on the train and eaten one too many sweets from the trolley, is still wide awake despite the pain in his legs for walking around the city for hours. Still, he turns off the television and lays down by his side.  
  
"I'm sorry we can't stay longer," Kyungsoo whispers.  
  
"That's ok, seriously," Chanyeol says, "This is the happiest day of my life, Kyungsoo," He completes, hoping the other will understand just how thankful he is. He knows how much Kyungsoo went out of his way to make it happen. Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Jongdae are always messing around, but mostly inside the castle. He's sad they don't get to stay longer too, but he knows if they take longer to go back, it will be suspicious. Also, he has quidditch practice he can't skip as soon as they get back.  
  
He already misses it in here, though. He doesn't want to fall asleep, because then when he wakes up, it means they have to leave already.  
  
"Kyungsoo?" He calls, checking if the other is still awake, as it's hard to see his face in the darkness of the small room.  
  
"Hm?" Comes the answer, indicating he's indeed close to falling asleep.  
  
"Have you decided what you want to do after we graduate next year?" He asks, not for the first time.  
  
"Not yet," Kyungsoo answers, not for the first time either.  
  
"But where are you going to live? I mean, at what side of the platform wall?" Chanyeol asks, and this one is new. He never had the guts to ask before, because he's scared of what Kyungsoo will pick. But he needs to know now.  
  
"I don't know," Kyungsoo says. There's silence for a moment, while Chanyeol thinks of how to put his thoughts into words.  
  
"I do," He starts, hesitant. "I want to come live here. That is, if you do too," He goes on, asking himself if Kyungsoo is still awake and listening. "Because I don't think I can do it alone," Chanyeol explains, but it's also because if Kyungsoo is not there, then he wouldn't want to be either. That part he decides it's better not to say out loud though. "I don't want you to feel like you have to because I want to though," Now Chanyeol is running his mouth, but he can't really stop, "But if you choose here, I want to come with you. If you want me to come, you can come alone too, of course–"  
  
Chanyeol is cut off, with Kyungsoo's small hand on his cheek and plump lips on his, a desperate, yet chaste, kiss.  
  
It's like having every city light he saw from the Shard inside of his chest, going on and off, on and off. Kyungsoo backs off way too soon, though.  
  
"I'm sorry," He says,  _I'm sorry_ , "I shouldn't have done that," Kyungsoo laughs, but it's not the one Chanyeol loves to hear. It's dry and caught on his throat, and Chanyeol wants to cry – not that one, no.  
  
He looks for Kyungsoo's lips, clashing them together again, and it's a bit messy as he can't see properly, but it's perfect anyway. He pulls Kyungsoo closer by the waist, gluing their bodies together like when they were dancing before, placing long kisses on his lips before gliding his tongue there, asking for more.  
  
Kyungsoo parts his lips, letting Chanyeol in, and they deepen the kiss slowly, tasting the cheap and artificial strawberry flavoured hotel toothpaste on each other's mouths.  
  
Chanyeol smiles between the kiss, pressing his lips against Kyungsoo's lips with certain desperation to prove a point. To show him everything is going to be just fine. That he jumped, and Chanyeol is not going to let him drown.  
  
Kyungsoo is the one that has to part their lips, a bit out of breath, because he forgets to do that while they're at it. He laughs lightly, placing pecks on the corners of Chanyeol's lips, "I do, too. I want to be with you, no matter where you go. If you want to live here, we'll live here," Kyungsoo promises, placing one more peck on his lips, as if to seal the promise.  
  
Chanyeol's heart beats at ease, and he feels as light as a feather inside. Kyungsoo's words warm up his heart like a blanket, making him feel safe like never before.  
  
So this is what love really feels like, he finds out.  
  
  
  
The best part of their quick runaway to the muggle world is definitely waking up to Kyungsoo's back against his chest, no doubt. Chanyeol knows they can't be late, but he gives himself the moment, stretching his arms and then pulling Kyungsoo closer to him when he's done.  
  
He lies there, nose against the other's neck, taking his scent in, as he waits for the alarm Kyungsoo set before lying down yesterday to go off. It plays the song Kyungsoo sang to him when it does, and Chanyeol can't help the smile that forms on his face.  
  
Kyungsoo groans, shoving his head into the pillow and refusing to open his eyes just yet. Chanyeol reaches for it, and presses whatever button he sees first, not really sure of what he's doing, but successfully making it stop after a couple of tries.  
  
"Morning," He whispers, placing a quick kiss on his shoulder as he rubs his arm. Kyungsoo looks so beautiful, even just lying there with a slight frown on his eyebrows, eyes barely open, sensitive to the morning's sun coming in through the cream curtains of the room's window.  
  
"Morning," Kyungsoo answers sleepily, turning around and curling his arms around Chanyeol's neck. The moment their eyes meet, though, he notices what's going on and blushes a deep shade of pink, hiding his face on his chest.  
  
"Can't believe you kissed me either?" He teases, hoping to make Kyungsoo more at ease with that. Kyungsoo slaps his arm with a soft punch, mumbling a muffled 'shut up' against his shirt. "You know the obvious answer to that is 'make me', right? Are you doing this on purpose?"  
  
"Maybe," Kyungsoo says, deciding it's better to just go with it. He tilts his head up, placing a slow peck on the corner of Chanyeol's lips. Then he backs off, getting rid of Chanyeol's arms around his waist to get up from the bed.  
  
"Now that's just mean," Chanyeol complains, and Kyungsoo hits him lightly with his pillow, laughing pleasantly.  
  
"Come on, the train leaves in half an hour."  
  
  
  
At the train back to Hogsmeade, Chanyeol gets to not only rest his head against Kyungsoo's shoulder, but hold his hand while he's at it, too. Unlike the other times, now Chanyeol interlocks their fingers together, and rubs his thumb across the smooth skin of Kyungsoo's small hand.  
  
Which helps make the Shrieking Shack's basement a lot less scary than the day before. Chanyeol still freaks out whenever a rat runs by, but now Kyungsoo just laughs at him, squeezing his hand tighter, and the peace it makes him feel in his chest is guaranteed to make him forget all about fear.  
  
Doesn't take them as long to cross the corridor back to the endless hall, too, as they walk through it confidently now, chatting and playing around as if the only source of light isn't Kyungsoo's wand. They check if there's nobody on the other side before stepping out of the frame, and relief washes over Chanyeol when they're successfully back in the castle.  
  
Kyungsoo probably feels the same, as he can't stop laughing about anything Chanyeol says and running against him with wobbly legs as they walk down the stairs.  
  
"Mr. Park," The head of the Gryffindor house calls, making both freeze in place. "And Mr. Do, of course. Where have you been?"  
  
"Library," Kyungsoo answers, at the same time as Chanyeol shoots 'bathroom'. "Bathroom," He changes confidently, but then Chanyeol goes for 'library', and he wants to die. "We've been at the library all day, but just now we went on a break to the bathroom," He explains, and Chanyeol nods more times than he should at that.  
  
"Right," She doesn't believe in them, of course, but there's so much she can do without proof. Kyungsoo knows she'll keep both eyes on them from now on, though, probably until the day they graduate. "Quidditch practice needs to be rescheduled. Your captain needs the team together to discuss a new time," She informs, and is that relief in her voice?  
  
  
  
"Ok, but how's the porn?" Jongdae asks, interrupting Chanyeol's endless list of things he learnt about the muggle world.  
  
"What?" Chanyeol asks, a bit confused as he's taken aback. Kyungsoo goes blank, and Baekhyun snorts before he cracks by Jongdae's side.  
  
"Muggle-borns always brag so much about how much better their porn is. We need to know if it's true!"  
  
"We?" Sehun says, counting himself out.  
  
"You're curious alright," Jongdae states, already going into whining mode, but being cut off by Baekhyun.  
  
"Ok, so how's the porn?" He asks again, this time directing his question to Kyungsoo. Everyone, even Sehun, goes silent as they wait for an answer. Kyungsoo fixes his glasses on his face, thinking for a bit.  
  
"Much better is quite an understatement," He says then, and Baekhyun cracks up again, slapping Jongdae's thigh, who starts yelling about how a muggle-born can't be trusted on this.  
  
"What about the patronus?" Sehun asks amidst the chaos, and that's when it hits him why Kyungsoo took him there in the first place.  
  
Chanyeol can't believe the other went through all the trouble of asking himself what would make Chanyeol so happy he would be able to cast it, then making it happen no matter how against the rules it was, just so Chanyeol could have what he wanted.  
  
Well, it worked. Chanyeol doesn't even have to try to know he's going to succeed. "Be right back," He says to Sehun, because the other two are lost causes, as he grabs Kyungsoo's hand and pulls him out of the common room.  
  
His steps are quick and confident, and Kyungsoo kind of has to run a bit to keep up with his long legs. He only stops when he reaches the clock tower, where they can be alone. Chanyeol reaches for his wand, points it in front of him and slowly draws small circles in the air, just like Kyungsoo taught him.  
  
The memory washes through him without effort. And it's much more than Chanyeol imagined, it's not a picture. It's a sentiment. It's having every city light he saw from the Shard inside of his chest, the moment Kyungsoo jumped on the reflection of the moon on the calm river. It's piece.  
  
The incantation slips out of his lips lightly, and he watches as a blue line dances off the tip of his wand. Round and round it goes, until he can see it. The eurasian eagle owl. The one he knows so well because–  
  
"Tell me that was you," Chanyeol asks Kyungsoo, because wow this is unexpected. And embarrassing. Chanyeol wasn't planning on confessing just how undying his feelings are just yet.  
  
"Nope," Comes the answer.  
  
"Ok," He says, "Ok. This is probably just a huge coincidence, right? So you don't need to feel pressured," Chanyeol reasons, because they're not at that point in their relationship yet. Well, he is, apparently, but is Kyungsoo? "Don't be scared. Don't take the patronus so seriously, because I can totally be chill about this relationship. I mean, if this is a relationship. You know what, why put labels on it–"  
  
Kyungsoo laughs, cupping his cheeks and getting on his tiptoes to shut him up with another chaste kiss. This time, though, he doesn't back off, he doesn't say he's sorry.  
  
And there goes the Shard's billion city lights lighting up one by one.  
  
  
  
"It's sad, isn't it?" Chanyeol says, holding the book in his hand.  
  
"What is?" Kyungsoo asks, turning his attention to him, as he's done placing the small pots of cacti on the windowsill.  
  
"That the nymph jumps and drowns," He answers, staring at the dark blue cover of the book, nothing on it but the small drawing of a golden star. Kyungsoo walks closer, taking some other books from the box and helping Chanyeol place them on the shelf.  
  
"Yes," He agrees, "But if she hadn't, she wouldn't have become a star."  
  
"What?"  
  
Kyungsoo blinks at him, "Did you ever finish the book?"  
  
"Yes? She jumps and drowns. The end," Chanyeol explains. Kyungsoo opens the book in his hand, on the last page. Chanyeol still recognizes the words there, even after four years. Then Kyungsoo turns the page, and  _those_  words Chanyeol has never read before.  
  
Kyungsoo waits as he runs his eyes over it, confirming that indeed, she drowns. And then the moon, that night finally laying its eyes on her, goes and rescues the nymph, turning her into the brightest star in the sky, so that it would never lose sight of her again. "Huh," He says, placing the book on the corner of the shelf.  
  
Now that would've changed a lot, maybe.  
  
But looking around, to his and Kyungsoo's not so new small muggle apartment, in a small muggle city, now all set and ready to become a home,  _their_  home, Chanyeol knows. He wouldn't have done it any other way.


End file.
